Multiple couple web press with cylinder registering mechanism



0a. 14, 1969 w. G. F'ARRER 3,472,161

MULTIPLE UPLE WEB PRESS WITH CYLINDER ISTERING HANISM Filed Aug. 1967 Altair United States Patent 3,472,161 MULTIPLE COUPLE WEB PRESS WITH CYLINDER REGISTERING MECHANISM William Greenhalgh Farrer, Clitheroe, England, assiguor to Stalwart Dyeing Co. Ltd., Clitheroe, England, a corporation of Great Britain Filed Aug. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 660,382 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 24, 1966, 37,982/ 66 Int. Cl. B41f 5/16, 5/18, 13/24 US. Cl. 101-181 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for printing fabrics includes at least two printing rollers and a corresponding number of pressure rolls which are intergeared and adjustable so that more than one pattern can be aligned on a fabric being printed.

The present invention relates to improvements in and modifications to the apparatus for printing of fabrics particularly (though not exclusively) tufted fabrics such as carpets as described in patent specification No. 2,997,952.

In the above patent specification there is described an apparatus for printing fabrics which comprises, inter alia, a driven printing roll which has a dye-absorbent material partly or wholly covering its surface against which the fabric is held in contact so as to be continuously advanced during the rotation of the printing roll. The fabric is preferably held against the printing roll by a pressure roll behind the fabric. The specification indicates that one or more pairs of printing and pressure rolls may be associated with the printing run of the fabric to apply a series of coloured patterns thereto. One embodiment of such an apparatus is described with reference to FIGURE 3 of the patent specification referred to above in which two printing rolls co-operate with a single interposed pressure roll to apply two different colours and/or patterns to the fabric.

When attempting to apply more than one pattern to a fabric by the use of two or more printing rolls utilizing the apparatus described in the above mentioned patent specification, considerable difficulty is encountered in accurately aligning the patterns on successive rolls in order to produce the desired effect on the fabric. Adjustment of the relative positions of the rolls being difficult and time consuming and resulting in the waste of considerable amounts of fabric before accurate alignment can be achieved.

We have now found that the above mentioned difliculties can be at least largely overcome by the provision of at least two printing rolls which are intergeared with their respective pressure rolls, arranging for the pressure rolls to be driven at the same velocity and providing means for permitting the adjustment of at least one of the printing rolls independently of the other printing roll or rolls to bring the patterns into alignment.

Accordingly therefore the present invention provides in an apparatus for printing fabrics in web form comprising a driven printing roller having a continuous impervious surface wholly or partly covered with a material which readily absorbs dye, the absorbent covering being confined to, or omitted from, defined areas of the printing roll surface which collectively represents at least one complete repeat of the desired pattern, means whereby the fabric is held in contact with the absorbent covering on said roller by a pressure roll behind the latter so as to be continuously advanced during rotation of the printing roll, and means for continuously charging the absorbent covering with dye during such rotation, the improvement or modification of incorporating at least two printing rollers for successive printing stages on the same side of the fabric intergeared with their respective pressure rolls, which pressure rolls are each driven at the same speed, and means provided for adjustment of at least 1 pressure roll independently of the other pressure roll or rolls to align the pattern on the printing rollers.

Preferably the pressure rolls are driven by an inextensible belt, such as a chain, which passes round adjacent pairs of pressure rolls and additional means are provided for maintaining a constant tension in the said belt between adjacent pairs of rolls.

In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention the means permitting adjustment of one of the pressure rolls and the means maintaining the belt at constant tension comprises a supporting means, such as plate, which is slidably movable along a defined track preferably in a plane normal to the axis of the pressure rolls and positioned substantially midway between adjacent pairs thereof, carrying at one end a freely rotatable pinion around which one run of the belt passes, and at the other end a disc the rotation of which is restricted by means, such as a torsion spring, attached thereto and to the support means, and two freely rotatable pinions mounted at opposite ends of a diameter of the said disc, the other run of the belt passing around and between the latter mentioned pinions.

The input drive may be applied to the centre pressure roll only, when 3 pairs of printing and pressure rolls are employed.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with a reference to the accompanying drawing, the said description and drawing being merely illustrative and not limitative of the invention.

The drawing is a schematic side elevation of the preferred embodiment in which 3 pairs of printing and pressure rolls are employed.

In the drawing 3 printing rolls F, F P of the type described in the aforementioned patent specification are intergeared by mangle gears I and H with 3 corresponding pressure rolls G, G and G The centre pressure roll G is driven (by means not shown), and has two chain sprockets K Single chain sprockets K, and K are fitted to pressure rolls G and G The movable support plate D is positioned substantially midway between pressure rolls G and G and may be moved towards or away from the line of the pressure rolls by means of the lead screw B and handwheel A. Attached to the sliding plate is a pinion C being free to rotate on pivot L. Also attached to plate D is a disc E mounted on pivot M. A torsion spring 0 is fixed at one end to disc E at point P and at the other end to plate D at point Q. Two pinions C which are free to rotate about pivots R are attached to disc E at opposite ends of a diameter thereof. A similar assembly is located between pressure rolls G and G Separate chain drives I and J connect sprockets K and K respectively, one run of the chain passing over pinion C and the other run passing round and between pinions C.

As plate D is moved towards or away from the line of the pressure rolls pinions C move around pivot M in order to maintain constant tension in the chain J, a constant torque being maintained at disc E by the torsion spring 0. Movement of the pinions C cause a corresponding movement in chain I which results in sprocket K being revolved and hence the print pattern roll F is also revolved. During this movement the centre pressure roll G remains stationary due to an equal and opposite torque being applied by spring 0 on the corresponding assembly maintaining the tension in chain J Thus by suitable movement of the sliding plate D the pattern on the pattern roll F can be aligned on the pattern roll F Similarly the pressure roll 6;, and printing roll F may be rotated relatively to rolls G and F by means of the hand wheel A of the corresponding assembly located between pressure rolls G and G It is clear from the foregoing description that the 3 pressure rolls and intergeared printing rolls will all revolve at the same relative speeds, and that 3 interlocking patterns on printing rolls F, F and F may be accurately aligned.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for printing fabrics in web form, comprising a driven printing roller having a continuous impervious surface wholly or partly covered with a material which readily absorbs dye, the absorbent covering being confined to, or omitted from, defined areas of the printing roll surface which collectively represents at least one complete repeat of the desired pattern, means whereby the fabric is held in contact with the absorbent covering on said roller by a pressure roll behind the latter so as to be continuously advanced during rotation of the printing roll, and means for continuously charging the absorbent covering with dye during such rotation, the improvement or modification of incorporating at least two printing rollers, for successive printing stages on the same side of the fabric, intergeared with their respective pressure rolls, which pressure rolls are each driven at the same speed by an inextensible belt which passes around adjacent pairs of pressure rolls and which includes additional means for maintaining a constant tension in said belt between the adjacent pairs of rolls, and means provided for adjustment of at least one pressure roll independently of the other pressure roll or rolls to align the patterns on the printing rollers and wherein the means permitting adjustment of one of the pressure rolls and the means maintaining the belt at constant tension comprises a supporting means, such as a plate, which is slidably movable along a defined track in a plane normal to the axis of the pressure rolls and positioned substantially midway between adjacent pairs thereon, carrying at one end a freely rotatable pinion around which one run of the belt passes and at the other end a disc, the rotation of which is restricted by means attached thereon and to the support means, and two freely rotatable pinions mounted at opposite ends of a diameter of the said disc, the other run of the belt passing around and between the latter mentioned pinions.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the means restricting the rotation of the disc comprises a torsion spring.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein three pairs of printing pressure rolls are employed and the drive is applied to the center pressure roll only.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,229,226 1/1941 Scott et al 101-152 2,949,851 8/1960 Ghormley et al 101-248 2,975,708 3/1961 Ghormley et al. 101-248 2,997,952 8/1961 Horrocks et al. 101-181 3,103,125 9/1963 Dutro et al 10118l XR ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner I. REED FISHER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 101-248 

